Jaymes

Yes, which in my view makes it particularly important to 'get it right.' The immigrants certainly know the difference between the two products. Gourmet should have explained it correctly to the rest of us.

And thanks for the compliment.

Good idea, and you can swing wide while coming south from Hewett and hit Taylor. Although most Texas BBQ buffs think that when everybody is "on," the top Lockhart joints are better than Mueller's, Scarbor is right that Mueller's can be as good as anyone, and it's always in everyone's "top five." Also, it's wonderfully atmospheric, so you get the authentic, even legendary, Texas BBQ meat market experience. If your schedule works out so that you can stop through Taylor on your way south, I'd join Scarbor in recommending it. But if not, and if you've come all the way to Austin, I'd strongly advise you to drive to Lockhart, rather than backtrack to Taylor. Even if you assume that Mueller's is as good as Lockhart, the "Lockhart Experience" usually involves grabbing a quick test bite at three famous BBQ Temples, something that Taylor cannot offer. And Lockhart is closer. A thought - Ling, are you flying out of Austin? If so, Lockhart is about 30-40 minutes south from the airport and, depending upon your flight time, of course, perhaps it would fit into your itinerary to rise early and hit Lockhart before you depart. But as others have said, remember that many of these BBQ spots close early, and often run out of the best (moist) brisket long before that - often in early afternoon - so plan to get there as early as you comfortably can. I'd suggest before noon, if possible.

The real problem here, of course, is the girl's mother. She wants this girl to like you. So basically, Mom is allowing the girl to blackmail you both. The thing you need to decide is is the Mom worth it. And how new is this relationship? If it's brand new, and the mom is worth it, I'd go the rotisserie-chicken-sidedish-plate-in-the-kitchen route this time, skip the argument, and explain to the mom later after everybody is calmer that you're not up for a lifetime of this manipulation. And that in the future, when you invite the daughter to join the grownups for a nice meal, she will not be dictating the menu. Or anything else about her mother's relationships, either. And if the mother isn't willing to stand up to the daughter, you've got yourself a more important issue than chicken to deal with.

I'm not talking about authenticity. And Gourmet isn't geared towards people who can't afford to source the right ingredients. But the right information is out there, it's not hard to find and the ingredients aren't exotic. Gourmet has ignored Latin food, Mexican in particular. I would just think with their resources they could have done a better job and maybe emailed Diana Kennedy, Susana Trilling or even spent an afternoon reading eG's threads on Mexican food. I think it's just sloppy work. I tend to agree with Rancho on this one. As Carrot says, there indeed are "many people who do not have the income to go to the source," but said folks are not Gourmet's target readership. Gourmet isn't Taste of Home, you know, with hundreds of recipes featuring Jello and Cream of Mushroom Soup. Gourmet certainly gives the appearance, anyway, of aiming for a higher market in terms of income, sophistication, travel, education, and a desire to improve themselves in all of these areas. I think the writer just took the easy way out. Deadlines and all, you know. Or maybe it's a case of the writer knowing less than he/she thinks he/she does.

No, that's exactly what I mean. In Texas, tourists will also go to the "legendary" places. But for the more discriminating tourist, the kind that looks to eGullet for restaurant advice, there is still the desire to get the Best. This is the Best as decided by informed consensus, and obviously a useful piece of knowledge. ← Right, Kent. But we're not talking about a poll of Chronicle "bests" and a resulting announcement of the winners. We're talking about taking it to its exact opposite extreme. And that just because you announce in your definitive voice to everyone visiting Texas that YOUR favorite bbq is "The Best," most certainly does not mean that it is. To anyone but you.

Certainly not - meat, butter, oils, sugar, and various processed foods were rationed in the US. And it wasn't just for "show" - a significant amount of the food being produced was being shipped out to feed the troops rather than going into the domestic food supply. The shortages in the US weren't as dire simply because more people here had room and opportunity to grow supplemental food of some kind. There was also a fairly active black market in meat and sugar - sugar being one of the primary raw materials for, er, "artisanal distilling." Right. Everybody had a "victory garden."

Not to mention the single most important aspect here. Which you've completely overlooked. And that is that taste is subjective. Let's go back to the BBQ argument. You can say until you're blue in the face that this certain BBQ joint or that is "the best." And you can tell every single person you come in contact with that it is. And you can tell every single person that asks about BBQ joints in Texas that it is. But that doesn't make it so. For anyone but you! If I disagree with you, it's not because I haven't been to the one you think is the best. It's not because I just don't know any better. And it's not because I'm wrong. It's because for ME, a different place is "the best." There is not now, and never will be, a unanimity of opinion when it comes to something as subjective as the taste of food. You keep trying to prove yourself "right" and others "wrong", as in the title of this thread: "MISINFORMED..." Maybe they are perfectly well informed. And maybe they like something else better than you like it. And maybe for them, when they say something else is "the best," they're RIGHT.

? Mayo isn't a hot sauce as far as I know.Neither is Pace, as far as I'm concerned. Not what I call a hot sauce, anyway, in the style of Marie Sharp's, Tapatio, Yucateca, Tabasco, etc. Pace is a chunky salsa. And a very mediocre one at that. But someone actually mentioned it, so I guess that what is and is not "hot sauce" is all in the mouth of the taster. (To coin a phrase.)

I know that this thread is about visiting Las Vegas, not moving there, but can't help but interject. Visitors do go to LV for the strip and the downtown casinos. But there are in reality two Las Vegases... People that live there say that they never go to the tourist areas, preferring to spend their time in parts of town that do have actual neighborhoods with neighborhood bars and restaurants and all of the other things that neighborhoods have. Although it's agreed that Las Vegas isn't an old city with much of a homegrown culture, there is, for one thing, a very large Air Force presence. It probably wouldn't be worth the time of most visitors to get to know the other side of town but for people that are relocating to Vegas, that's what I'd suggest. For one thing, military Asian wives have established several excellent restaurants and markets. Of course Ling, coming from Seattle, already has access to excellent Asian food, not to mention fresh seafood and other Pacific NW delicacies. It's been a while since I spent any time in Vegas, but in addition to eating in the famous upscale restaurants, I'd advise a visiting PNW'er to find a few Mexican joints where the casino and hotel workers eat.

A lot of people argue that Lotus of Siam is the best Thai restaurant in the country. I don't know if it is or not, but I'd like the opportunity to find out. I've considered going to Vegas just to give it a try. I don't think it's particularly expensive. Lotus of Siam

All the chitchat about dips over in the Velveeta thread caused me to do a search to see if we'd talked about dips before. And we have.... So here's a favorite of mine, which is soooo much better with the flavorful tomatoes of summer, still in the markets now: Green Chiles & Olives Dip 2 large tomatoes, peeled, seeded, drained and chopped 3-4 green onions, tops and all, chopped 1 small can chopped black olives, well drained 1 small can chopped green chiles, not drained 3 T EVOO 1 tsp garlic salt 1 1/2 tsp vinegar s & p to taste Stir all together and let sit in the fridge for a few hours to combine flavors. (If you like it hotter than those mild green chiles, chop some canned jalapenos and add those as well.) Serve with tortilla chips. This is absolutely delicious. Seems simple, and it is, but it's much more than a sum of its parts. One of the keys is to very finely chop the tomatoes and onions. In fact, back when I was Miss Social, we entertained a lot, and went to a lot of the sorts of parties where everyone had to bring something. I had given out this recipe to many of my friends, who made it regularly. At one party, a couple approached me. The husband said, "I love that dip; will you give the recipe to my wife?" The wife interjected, "I have that recipe...there's some sitting in the refrigerator right now." Husband: "Oh. Well, yours doesn't taste as good as hers...." Wife: "She chops it a lot finer. I hate chopping."

Here you go, sweet stuff: Carnes con Queso 1 lb ground beef 1 lb chorizo (Mexican-style) 1 white or yellow onion, chopped 1 can whole tomatoes, drained 1 2-lb box Velveeta chopped jalapenos to taste (I used the canned or jarred pickled jalapenos, "en escabeche"; often you can find them sliced, for nachos) In a large skillet brown the meats. Drain well. Either remove the meat from the skillet and set aside, or make the sauce in a separate pan. Coarsely chop the tomatoes and chunk the Velveeta and place in a pan along with the onions and chiles and cook slowly, simmering, until Velveeta is melted and smooth. Stir in the meats and serve hot with tortilla chips. Now...I used to be a huge hit at cocktail parties with this dip. Often somebody else had brought the good ol' Velveeta & salsa/Ro-Tel dip, and this is a step up, so it would disappear much more quickly, with kudos all 'round. (Not that 'dips' should be a competitive event, you understand, but still...) I haven't made it in years, though, so if you're reading it and you're asking "what SIZE 'can of whole tomatoes'?" I'd say, good question - I don't remember. You'll just have to experiment and get back with us. And way back then, when I was making it several times a month, there was only one kind of Velveeta, so I don't know how it would be to use one of the "Mexican" versions. And insofar as the "heat quotient" goes, you can buy mild or hot chorizo, and you can adjust the number of jalapenos to suit your taste. I usually dumped in a small jar of the sliced jalapenos. But this stuff is delicious. Football season is almost upon us, you know.

A favorite in our house, as well. There's a thread on angel biscuits somewhere on eG, along with a lovely tribute from a writer (I forget exactly whom).

Vegetarians, eh? Well, how would they know what meat is like in New York? I find the whole thing suspicious. And leave it to vegetarians to like lean meat. From that quote alone, I find it impossible to determine exactly which locale has the steak with the "fat and stuff." I actually understood it differently from you...that the meat they get in NYC has been more closely trimmed to please the upmarket crowd, whereas the meat closer to the source is more, um, rustic.

We never had the stack of what my grandmother (and father) called, "that ol' cotton bread" (Wonder bread and its gummy, soft cousins) on our table. Or even in our house, for that matter. But that said, we did eat a lot of bread. As others have said, my mother and grandmother served whatever sort of bread they thought went well with the meal: crusty French or Italian bread with steaks and stews and roasts and pastas and tomato-sauced mains; cornbread or biscuits with pork chops, greens, ham, fried chicken or other southern-style dishes; German brown bread or rye with German meals like rouladen, spiced red cabbage, wurst and sauerkraut; cinnamon rolls, muffins, or whole wheat or 7-grain toast for breakfasts; tortillas with Mexican; always homemade yeast rolls at holidays. In our house, the bread varied, and was always a considered and deliberate part of the menu. I still remember the first time I ever saw somebody just plop down a plate of sliced white 'cotton' bread on the table. I was a kid, visiting a neighbor. I thought it was odd, because the only time I had ever seen that kind of bread was in my friends' lunchboxes at school. So I watched the plate very carefully, expecting some sort of cold cut or pb&j to arrive. Which, of course, it never did. In retrospect, when I hear others' experiences, I think I must have been really lucky, gastronomically speaking, to have grown up in our household. My grandmother was a legendary southern cook and for a time, when she was a young widow with three small children, even owned a family-style restaurant. My father spent much of his childhood in that kitchen, which turned him into a pretty good cook. As an adult, he traveled the world for his job, which turned him into a knowledgeable and adventuresome gourmet. I do still often incorporate a particular type of bread into my menus, but I'd say it's only about 25 percent of the time. Mostly because hot breads with butter (not to mention hot biscuits or cornbread with butter and honey, and brown breads with cream cheese) are just too tempting. However, like others, always rolls at holidays. But I don't make them like my mama and grandmama did. I just unfurl a few Crescent rolls. I think they're darn tasty.

You know, so often you have a recipe that you enjoy, and you post it, and you wonder whether or not anyone else made it, or liked it.... To the people that have mentioned my recipes here - the caramel corn, the carnitas, the salsa - I just want to say, thanks. I really appreciate your letting me know that you've enjoyed them. Not sure quite what to say, but I'm bustin' my buttons right now, I'll tell you that.

Boy, you and me both. The restaurant from which we hauled out ceviche by the gallon-jugsfull was Restarante de las Americas. Do you know it? I asked a fishmonger in the US about corvina, and he said it was a type of sea bass, so that's what I use here, when I can find it crazy fresh. Freezing or parboiling does affect the final texture negatively, I think. Here's the recipe our cook used and with which I have had considerable success: Ceviche Panamá Fresh fish -- white firm (corvina if you can get it) white or yellow onion, chopped 4 hot chiles (whatever you like, jalapenos are easy to find) to taste, finely chopped 1 green bell pepper, chopped (and you can use any mild pepper, but bell peppers are easy to find) scant 1/2 cup chopped sweet red peppers (can use jarred pimentos) fresh limes, just about as many as you can squeeze, to cover fish 1/4 C white vinegar 1/4 C olive oil 1/2 tsp oregano, lightly toasted and rubbed between your palms salt and pepper to taste Skin, bone, and chop fresh fish into small bite-sized pieces. Place in glass bowl and add fresh lime juice to cover. Add vinegar, oil, oregano, S&P. Seal bowl and place in refrigerator to "cook." When fish flesh is firm, serve with saltines. Condiments: bottled hot sauce, chopped tomatoes, cilantro, avocado, etc. Can serve on tostados.

I think it must also have something to do with what kind of fish you use. When we lived in Panama, there was a restaurant that made great ceviche. We used to buy it in large gallon jars (and I'm not kidding). It took my family of five about three days to get through that jar. And frankly, we couldn't tell any difference from first bite to last. The style of ceviche, and amount of time considered optimal, varies from country to country, and even from region to region.

I used to make an app of Parmesan and mayo on black bread triangles, quickly broiled then served. It was terrible how many one could eat, would want to eat, considering the high mayo content. And grated onion? Velveeta melts so beautifully that many soups are enhanced by a chunk or two stirred in just before serving.

There have been a lot of excellent suggestions here as to how you could have handled your problem in advance, in order for it not to have gone so far. And from this post, it sounds like you spoke directly to the couple, which was undoubtedly a bad idea. But now, my strong suggestion is that first of all you forgive yourself. And then, resolve to try to take several steps suggested above to greatly reduce the possibility of it happening. Best of all is the explanation and request of the hostess/maitre d' or whomever is responsible for the seating, along with a nice tip. Absolutely don't give up eating out. As a last resort, should you find yourself in that spot again, and you cannot move for some reason or another - perhaps the restaurant is filling up too rapidly, for example - mumble something about the baby sitter having called or other excuse and say you'll be needing to take the rest of the meal to go.

Are you sure you can't grow one there? I've grown various citrus plants all over the world. You might have to take it inside in the winter, but I'll bet you could grow one. Next time you go home, take a couple of the fruits back with you. God knows they have plenty of seeds!! They're really pretty plants as you know. In the US, they're sold as "ornamental citrus," and as a houseplant in cooler climates. I was told by a nurseryman that "nobody grows them for the fruit because it's so small - the plants are popular because they're pretty and smell nice and they're easy to grow." I'd recommend you give it a try. Whacha got to lose? Calamondin Orange ← They are very hardy, in Australia they have been grown for years under the name of "Kumquats", now that true Kumquats are being sold they are marketed as "Australian Kumquats". The make superb marmalade. Now that I think back, I had gone into that nursery trying to ascertain if calamondin was the same thing as calamansi and when I asked the fellow if the calamondin plant got fruit he first said, "Yes, but it's not edible." I said, "Not edible?" and he said, "Well, I guess it's edible but nobody eats it, it's too sour." I told him if they were the fruit I thought they were, they were delicious when used like lemons and limes. In the Philippines, the people make calamansi-ade...like lemonade and limeade. And ceviche, of course.

You know, that's a really tough one, I think. Of COURSE you should go out to eat. And I'm not one bit claustro/agorophobic, but I neither like nor understand it when somebody comes in anywhere I am, restaurant, movie, public transportation, etc., and with the entire place empty, chooses to sit right by me. I don't think it's odd that I feel that way....I think it's a very common 'human' thing to expect the rest of society to sort of adhere to an unwritten rule of spacing...you know? In the case you describe, were I you, it would have been very difficult. I wouldn't have wanted to get up and move...it would look rude, and strange. But I also wouldn't have wanted to sit there and pay for an uncomfortable experience. I probably would have spilt my water and then apologized profusely while I moved.

Are you sure you can't grow one there? I've grown various citrus plants all over the world. You might have to take it inside in the winter, but I'll bet you could grow one. Next time you go home, take a couple of the fruits back with you. God knows they have plenty of seeds!! They're really pretty plants as you know. In the US, they're sold as "ornamental citrus," and as a houseplant in cooler climates. I was told by a nurseryman that "nobody grows them for the fruit because it's so small - the plants are popular because they're pretty and smell nice and they're easy to grow." I'd recommend you give it a try. Whacha got to lose? Calamondin Orange

I'd venture a guess that it isn't because they eat at McDonald's once a month or so. I'd wager it's because they make unhealthy lifestyle choices in all areas of their lives. Such as eating at fast food joints daily. And exercise doesn't even reach the "good idea" phase. And when they do cook at home, it's fried foods and white bread and bologna and macaroni and cheese and chocolate milk and Twinkies and other sugary treats buried beneath frothy piles of Cool Whip. And to wash it down...the ubiquitous cola. Always, the ubiquitous cola.